Airplane Geeks Podcast

Observations from the 2019 NBAA Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (NBAA-BACE). In the news, strange ideas to make airlines greener, a fleet of commuter planes to avoid road traffic, Southwest B737 maintenance records, therapy animals in the airport, Hawaiian Airlines 90th anniversary, and the Boeing 777X business jet.

Gulfstream G700

Rob Mark attended NBAA-BACE held Event October 22 – 24, 2019 at the Las Vegas Convention Center and at Henderson Executive Airport. Rob offers some impressions of the event and talks about some of the new aircraft like the Gulfstream G700 and the Pilatus PC-12 NGX. He’s also pretty excited about the Vū Systems passive millimeter-wave sensor.

Rob also attended the Bombardier Safety Standdown held November 12 to 14, 2019 at the Omni Fort Worth Hotel, in Fort Worth, Texas. The event attracted a wide variety of participants, some 550 strong, all of whom are deeply interested in aviation safety.

Several airline executives have recently offered some strange ideas: Hungarian LCC Wizz Air CEO Jozsef Varadi is calling for airlines to stop offering business class on flights less than five hours, calling it “an inefficient and archaic model.” Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr has declared that “flights for less than 10EUR shouldn’t exist.”

FLOAT Shuttle Inc. (Fly Over All Traffic) offers southern California commuter flights operated by Southern Airways Express, LLC. from GA airports. For a fixed monthly fee, commuters beat ground transportation with 15-30 minute flights from almost 40 airports.

The permafrost at Greenland’s Kangerlussuaq Airport is melting, causing the runway to crack. They say civilian flights will end within five years and so a new airport is being constructed.

From 2014, Southwest Airlines purchased 88 Boeing 737 planes from more than a dozen foreign airlines. Southwest had the planes inspected and they were found compliant per FAA delegated authority. However, the FAA found some records discrepancies in May 2018 and gave Southwest 2 two years to bring the maintenance documentation into compliance. As of October 29, 2019, only 39 of the planes had been inspected.

San Francisco International Airport is using a “Wag Brigade” to help passengers with travel anxieties. LiLou the therapy pig sports a pilot’s cap and painted toenails. She says hello by raising a hoof, poses for selfies, and manages to entertain departing passengers with her toy piano. The Wag Brigade program also includes a number of dogs.

Video: Therapy Pig // 60 Second Docs

https://youtu.be/n_ioxPKDL5g

The first Hawaiian Airlines flight took place on Nov. 11, 1929, from Honolulu to Hilo. To celebrate its 90th anniversary, Hawaiian Airlines recreated that flight, flying on the same day, route and time as they did 90 years ago.

The Boeing Business Jet isn’t just one jet – it’s a series of airliner variants for the private and corporate jet market that includes the 747-8 VIP, 737 MAX VIP,  787 VIP, and 777X VIP. The 777X VIP has a 3,256 sq. ft. cabin with a base price of $474 million. Expect to spend an additional $90–$175 million to outfit the plane.

AvgeekFests.com aviation events calendar.

Thursday Thunder – What I Really Want To Fly from Sticks, Stories, and Scotch.

Aircraft nose job assessed in Hertz chamber

Airline Timetable Images

The president and CEO of AeroTEC explains the process for engineering, testing, and aircraft certification. In the news, Boeing expects deliveries of the 737 MAX to resume in December 2019, the FAA has a new ADS-B privacy policy, WOW rises from the ashes as Icelandic LCC Play, and a gender reveal stunt ends in a crash. Also, the Commemorative Air Force’s first Air Force One, the Evolution Turbine, comments on Garmin’s Autoland, and the Sukhoi Superjet 100.

Lee Human, AeroTEC president and CEO.

Lee Human is president and CEO of AeroTEC, an independent provider of initial engineering, design, prototype manufacturing, testing, and airworthiness certification. The company uses in-house instrumentation, software, tools, and processes throughout the projects.

We discuss aircraft certification: what it is and how it takes place within the overall design and development process of a new aircraft or aircraft modification. Lee explains organizational delegation and why there is a partnership between the FAA and the manufacturer. We talk about the independence of the decisions DERs make and the establishment by the FAA of the roles in the compliance review community.

Since aircraft certification is a current topic as it relates to the Boeing 737 MAX, we take the opportunity to consider if larger quality system issues are the root of recent aircraft problems. Lee discusses the certification criteria used for the 737 MAX and the possible impact of a long legacy design history.

Lee explains why OEMs come to AeroTEC for services, and he tells us about some of the new initiatives, such as electric aircraft projects with magniX (see episode 524 where we talked with CEO Roei Ganzarski) and Eviation. He also touches on the Supersonic Flight Alliance which seeks to provide a space for responsible supersonic development in Washington State.

Lee has been personally involved in the testing, engineering, and certification of over 50 major aerospace projects, including Aviation Partners’ Blended Winglets on the B737, B757, and B767 as well as Gulfstream, Hawker, and Falcon aircraft. Lee also worked on the Lockheed Martin Cooperative Avionics Test Bed (CATB) 737-300 with F35 (JSF) systems, the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 250, and the Mitsubishi MRJ type certificate.

Prior to starting AeroTEC in 2003, Lee was flight test manager at Aviation Partners Boeing (APB) and before that he was a lead engineer at Aircraft Engineering Specialists (AES).

Lee is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts Amherst College of Engineering and has earned credentials as an FAA DER, as well a private multi-engine instrument pilot’s license.

Boeing said 737 MAX deliveries should resume in early December 2019. Airlines could start flying the plane in January. Recently, Southwest Airlines and American Airlines pulled the 737 MAX from their schedules until early March. A Boeing spokesman said, “We know they need more time to get their fleets ready and pilots trained, but the plane and training [approvals] will both be done by January, permitting commercial service.” The Federal Aviation Administration reiterated that its officials “have set no timeframe for when the work will be completed.”

A new Privacy ICAO Address (PIA) will be available on January 1, 2020, on 1090 MHz ADSB-Out in U.S. domestic airspace. This will happen in two phases: First, business and general aviation operators will be able to apply for the program directly through the FAA. Later, the FAA will transition the service to a “third-party service provider.” The FAA commented, “The NBAA and members of the GA community have cited the lack of privacy as a barrier to ADS-B Out equipage. In order to mitigate these concerns, the FAA has initiated the Privacy ICAO Address program with the objective of improving the privacy of aircraft operators in today’s ADS-B environment by limiting the extent to which the aircraft can be quickly and easily identified by non-U.S. government entities, while ensuring there is no adverse effect on ATC services.”

New low-cost carrier PLAY will operate the A320 family, flying both passenger and freight. As did WOW, the airline plans to fly east and west from Iceland. When the fleet grows to six by spring serving Europe, PLAY will then look at North American routes in the Summer. See also Play Plans to Expand Fast.

An expecting couple planned to have an Air Tractor 602 aerial application aircraft spray pink dyed water to announce they would be having a girl. That part worked, but what happened next was unplanned.

Reporter-at-large Launchpad Marzari speaks with Nick Widenkoff at Wings Over Dallas about the first Air Force One, an Aero Commander. To learn more about this aircraft, visit Ike’s Bird and the Commemorative Air Force.

Troubled Russian Plane Makes Emergency Landing After Engine Failure

Delta Airlines Safety Card Safety Video (2019)

https://youtu.be/d0BPRS2LcY8

Evolution Turbine

Austin Meyer’s Evolution Turbine

Austin Meyer’s Evolution Turboprop.

Xavion

Avionics: When all else fails an app that helps you glide to safety

We take a look at the new Garmin Autoland system and re-discover the Interceptor 400 pressurized turboprop. Also, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg and the congressional hearings, a fatal accident at a radio control soaring competition, flying lessons funded by British Airways, and the Labour Party wants to ban private jets that use fossil fuel. We celebrate Veteran’s Day by honoring two WWII vets and discuss some great topics raised in listener feedback.

In the event of an emergency such as pilot incapacitation, the Garmin Autoland system can be activated for an autonomous landing of the aircraft. The system determines the most optimal airport and runway, taking into account factors such as weather, terrain, obstacles and aircraft performance statistics. Garmin Autoland can also activate automatically if it feels the pilot is unresponsive. Cirrus and Piper Aircraft announced they’ll implement the system.

Video: Garmin Autonomí: Autoland Activation

https://youtu.be/IyYxbiZ1FCQ

The Interceptor 400 pressurized turboprop was not a commercial success – perhaps it was ahead of its time. Recently the plane was discovered “carefully stored in obscurity on a farm in Wichita, Kansas.” The Interceptor 400 is for sale, along with the airplane’s FAA type certificate, drawings, jigs and tooling.

Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg appeared before the US Congress, admitting that “we made mistakes, we got some things wrong.” At the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee hearing, several asked for Muilenburg to step down. Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn. accused Boeing of “a pattern of deliberate concealment” and said, “Boeing came to my office shortly after the accidents and said they were the result of pilot errors. Those pilots never had a chance.”

At the F3F Radio Control Soaring (Slope) World Cup in Taiwan, the remote control glider operated by an American pilot struck a woman and killed her. At the time, she was holding her 2-year-old son, who sustained a cut on his neck.

In partnership with The Air League Trust, British Airways plans to fund flying lessons for 200 UK students in 2020. The airline funded lessons for students in a 2019 trial at Booker Aviation Flying School. Next year, the program will expand to other flying schools.

If the Labour party wins the election, they might ban private jets from UK airports starting as soon as 2025. After a report found that sector produced the equivalent carbon emissions of 450,000 cars each year, Andy McDonald, the shadow transport secretary, said “The multi-millionaires & billionaires who travel by private jet are doing profound damage to the climate, and it’s the rest of us who’ll suffer the consequences. A phase-out date for the use of fossil fuel private jets is a sensible proposal.”

Micah presents “Solon’s Gone,” a story about a veteran who flew B-24 Liberators in the Pacific during World War II.

Solon Graham, top left standing – with crew.

Max and Micah interview Richard Hammond, age 96, who was a B-17 Tail Gunner in the Second World War. 

Pig Chaser and crew. Standing, l-r: Robert A. Pherson, right waist gunner; Floyd Crow, top turret gunner and flight engineer; Howell T. MacFarland, left waist gunner; Richard Hammond, tail gunner; Merle Crawfoot, radio operator; John Zdunek, Ball Turret gunner. Kneeling, front row (left to right): Don Wise, Bombardier; Arnold Watrous, Pilot; Clarence Bose, co-Pilot; Paul Moore, Navigator.

Jaunt Air Mobility Air Taxi

How I Built This with Guy Raz – JetBlue Airways: David Neeleman

FlightsFrom.com

We talk with the chief engineer of the Bell V-280 Valor tiltrotor program. In the news, the FAA revoked the repair station certificate for the supplier of the Lion Air 737 MAX AOA sensor, and airline cabin crew stories: streaming video from a lav, crew arrests for money laundering, and fainting flight attendants.

Bell V-280 Valor

Paul Wilson is the chief engineer for the Bell V-280 Valor program. He leads the engineering team responsible for the execution of all development efforts on the V-280 Joint Multi-Role Tech Demonstration and Future Vertical Lift programs.

The Bell V-280 Valor is a fly-by-wire tiltrotor aircraft that had a successful first flight in 2017. The aircraft could represent a future Blackhawk replacement. The program now in the technology demonstration phase, focused on reducing risk and informing requirements and capabilities to help define the technical readiness of the future platform. 

Paul explains what a tiltrotor design offers and how the V-280 is different from the V-22 Osprey and the mission that aircraft was designed for. In the case of the V-280, only the rotor pylon rotates, while the engine remains fixed. On the V-22, the rotor system and the engine nacelle rotate.

We learn about the system for managing torque provided to the two rotor pylons and the impressive agility of the V-280 at slow speed.

Bell’s program focuses on improving affordability and reliability. One example of platform sustainability and affordability is the use of augmented reality where Bell uses 3D design data throughout the lifecycle of the aircraft, such as in manufacturing and maintenance.

Previously at Bell, Paul led the V-280 Vehicle Systems IPT that developed and tested the flight control, avionics, propulsion, and mechanical systems. He also served in other leadership roles including as Project Manager for the 407GX Autopilot development and certification program and as the IPT Lead for Bell’s Vehicle Management Systems and Integrated Vehicle Health Management (IVHM) Technology IR&D.

Before joining Bell, Paul served in the US Air Force as an Acquisitions and Aerospace Engineering officer. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Texas at San Antonio and a Master of Science in Aeronautical Engineering from the Air Force Institute of Technology.

https://youtu.be/T5a9Djp9gsg

V-280 Valor news:

V-280 Valor videos:

Xtra Aerospace supplied the AOA sensor on the Lion Air 737 MAX that crashed, killing 189 people. The FAA has revoked Xtra’s aviation repair station certificate. Xtra repaired and approved for service a used angle of attack sensor that was installed on the Lion Air jet to replace a faulty one. In its final report, the National Transportation Safety Committee of Indonesia, known in Indonesia as KNKT, said the replacement sensor was miscalibrated. Its angle of attack was 21 degrees too high. In a statement, Xtra said, “We respectfully disagree with the agency’s findings” and that this action by the FAA “is not an indication that Xtra was responsible for the accident.”

In 2017, a Southwest flight attendant claims to have seen an iPad in the cockpit in flight that was live streaming from the lavatory. Also, the pilots departed the aircraft upon landing in violation of FAA requirements, and a loaded firearm was left unattended in the cockpit. This was reported to the airline, which continues to allow the pilots to fly. The FA and her flight attendant husband say they have been harassed.

The American Airlines flight attendants have been charged with money laundering after a routine customs check revealed large amounts of cash were being carried. The defendants evading reporting requirements and had no authorization to transmit money.

Cleaning fluid fumes caused the two flight attendants to momentarily fall unconscious and AA Flight 729 from London Heathrow to Philadelphia was forced to make an unscheduled landing in Dublin, Ireland. It seems that a canister of an aircraft interior cleaner had been left in a lavatory when the plane was at Heathrow Airport and fluid had leaked into the carpets.

Departed Flights

Watch Lilium’s electric aircraft for ‘air taxi’ fly as they move toward production

Video: The Lilium Jet flying taxi completes first phase of flight testing

https://youtu.be/lojpe3lUdFk

American Helicopter Museum & Education Center

Interviews with the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team and the crew chief of the T-38 Spirit of Alliance at the Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show. In the news, internal Boeing messages about the 737 MAX, an almost 20-hour non-stop flight from New York to Sydney, the German airfare tax increase, and aviation travel perks to encourage ground transportation by train. Also, registering a foreign plane in the U.S.

The Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show was held on October 19 – 20, 2019, at the Fort Worth Alliance Airport. Performers included the U.S. Army Golden Knights parachute team. Our reporter-at-large Launchpad Marzari rode in the jump plane and interviewed Golden Knights SFC Roman Grijalva, SSG Morgan George, and CW4 Felicia Marlow.

Launchpad with the U.S. Army Golden Knights.

Launchpad speaks with Butch Wonderland, crew chief of the T-38 Spirit of Alliance in its Thunderbirds paint scheme.

Video: Ross Perot Jr.’s T-38 (Spirit of Alliance) “NX385AF”

https://youtu.be/yH3eqIV56D4

In 2016, a text message from Boeing’s chief technical pilot for the 737 to a technical pilot said the Maneuvering Characteristics Augmentation System (MCAS) was engaging “itself like crazy,” and called the problem “egregious.” Furthermore, the chief technical pilot said that he basically unknowingly lied to the FAA. In a letter to Boeing chief executive Dennis Muilenburg on Friday, FAA Administrator Stephen Dickson said: “I expect your explanation immediately.”

More:

Qantas flew the first non-stop commercial airline flight from New York to Sydney after 19 hours and 16 minutes in the air. During the flight, a series of experiments were conducted to assess the health and well-being of those on board. Three ultra-long-haul research flights are planned.

More:

An increase in the so-called German “climate tax” will likely cause airfares to increase. The tax increase of 38% and will affect all domestic and Europe flights as well as mid and long-haul. Revenue from the tax will be used to offset train VAT by over 10%.

Passenger numbers at LAX are increasing but more and more of them are using Uber and Lyft for ground transportation. The use of trains is down 10%. Now the BART Board of Directors is considering offering transit riders with access to “priority” airport security check-in lanes.

Reporter-at-large Launchpad Marzari explains how he registered his Focke-Wulf in the United States.

Libertas – 75th Anniversary of D-Day

In this documentary video, veterans’ advocate CJ Machado trains with the WWII Airborne Demonstration Team in preparation for the group’s jump at the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. We also hear surviving heroes of the “Greatest Generation” recount their experiences liberating Europe.

CJ Machado was our guest on Episode 529, in November 2018.

Airliners.net, Airfleets.net, and the Plane Finder app

Hawker Sea Fury “September Fury” – Race 232 Reno 2013

https://youtu.be/mMqMZl64mfs

The new Airtime video series provides insights into innovators and disruptors, including Dale Klapmeier, co-founder of Cirrus Aircraft. In the news, we discuss the FAA Women In Aviation Advisory Board, the augmented and virtual reality market in aviation, AOPA’s Air Safety Institute GA Accident Analysis, and the Porsche / Boeing collaboration for an urban air mobility aircraft. We also have the return of the Aviation Minute.

Stephen Newton, producer of Airtime.

Stephen Newton is the founder and managing partner of the consultancy Elixirr. Stephen is a qualified pilot, an Airplane Geeks listener, and he’s produced a new series called Airtime where he interviews CEOs and founders of forward-thinking and disruptive companies. Stephen flies his guests in a Cirrus SR22T to locations that have some relationship to the story being told.

Airtime is a show that is interesting to business people and aviators. Through travel to the places that formed them as humans, you get to know the people behind innovative concepts and learn how that helped them build their visions for the future.

Cirrus Aircraft co-founder Dale Klapmeier is the guest on the second episode of Airtime. It’s a story about someone who has created something meaningful, significant, against all odds, and what it took to pull it off. The lessons are not just “aviation lessons,” they apply anywhere.

Stephen believes creating and foreseeing innovation in the business world is similar to the spirit of aviation held by pilots and the restlessness and curiosity they experience along with the need to manage risks.

https://youtu.be/aDF2Q9xO9O0

U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao announced that the FAA has established a Women in Aviation Advisory Board to “provide independent advice and recommendations to the FAA in supporting women’s involvement in the aviation field.” The Board was established to meet the requirements of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2018 (PDF).

This from a new report, “Augmented and Virtual Reality Market in Aviation by Technology, Function, Component, Application, Product, Vertical And Region – Global Forecast to 2025.” The report says AR/VR growth will come from increasing efficiency and cost savings in aviation in functions such as manufacturing, maintenance, airport operations, airline operations, aviation training, and others.

The report looks at airplanes that weigh less than 12,500 pounds and helicopters of all sizes. Despite an increase in GA total flight hours, the overall fatal accident trend is down.

Porsche and Boeing signed a memorandum of understanding to “explore the premium urban air mobility market and the extension of urban traffic into [the] airspace.” A concept for an electric VTOL vehicle is being developed by Boeing, Porsche, and Boeing subsidiary Aurora Flight Sciences.

Bell Fort Worth Alliance Air Show, October 19-20, 2019.

The D-Day Squadron announced a partnership with the documentary film Into Flight Once More, produced by Sound Off Films, which is currently in production and raising completion funds for an anticipated 2020 release. The film commemorates the D-Day Squadron’s crossing of the Atlantic with fifteen historic C-47 and DC-3 aircraft to honor the 75th anniversary of the invasion of Normandy on June 6th, 2019.

We discuss the crash of the Collings Foundation B-17 and present our interview with pilot Mac McCauley, recorded one week prior to the fatal crash. Also, NTSB recommendations for the FAA after the fatal 737 MAX crashes, ICAO’s push ahead with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation, tariffs after the WTO rules on unfair aviation subsidies, and two airliners make emergency landings.

Collings Foundation B-17 pilot Ernest “Mac” McCauley. Copyright Max Flight.

One week prior to the fatal crash at BDL of the Collings Foundation B-17, we toured the aircraft and interviewed B-17 pilot Ernest “Mac” McCauley. We present that interview in full, examine safety concerns for such warbird flights, and provide our thoughts about the crash and its implications for warbird flights in the future.

Podcast dialogue releases details about pilot involved in B-17 plane crash. Photos and clips from our interview with Mac, from ABC affiliate WMTW, Channel 8 in Portland Maine, reported by Mary Cate Mannion.

NTSB B-Roll at Bradley International Airport 10/3/2019. Video of the crash scene.

Brother Of Connecticut B-17 Bomber Crash Victim: ‘I’m In A Bad Dream’

What We Know About the Victims of the B-17 Bomber Crash

Just in: The names of all the victims of the B-17 crash at Bradley International Airport. From @HeidiVoight, an NBC Connecticut anchor.

Last minutes of the flight on LiveATC.net (Note: This link will download an MP3 file to your computer.)

Owner Of B-17 Bomber In Deadly Crash Suspends Other Flights. From CBS affiliate WBZ in Boston. The Collings Foundation “says it is suspending flights and its Wings of Freedom Tour for the remainder of the year.” Tickets for flights through December will be refunded.

B-17 crash raises questions about vintage plane safety. We take issue with “… Arthur Alan Wolk, a lawyer who specializes in crash litigation in Philadelphia, said Friday that the accident shows the risks associated with flying old planes: They break. He said the rules for operating vintage aircraft are stringent, but he questioned whether compliance and training are adequate.”

Keep History Flying: Warbirds In The Wake Of The B-17 Crash. “These aircraft serve as traveling museums, able to visit communities across America and engage people who are not able to journey to the National Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, or the Smithsonian’s Air and Space Museum in Washington D.C.”

Collings Foundation B-17. Copyright Max Flight.

The National Transportation Safety Board issued seven safety recommendations to the FAA that address concerns about how multiple alerts and indications are considered when making assumptions as part of design safety assessments.

The UN’s International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) assembly approved moving forward with the Carbon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme for International Aviation (CORSIA). China, India, and Russia objected.

The World Trade Organization has been considering claims against Boeing and Airbus that they each received unfair government subsidies. The WTO determined that both charges are valid. They haven’t yet quantified the “damage” that resulted from Boeing subsidies, but they have quantified it for Airbus and given Washington the right to impose tariffs on $7.5 billion worth of EU goods annually.

Delta said that new U.S. tariffs placed on Airbus planes “will inflict serious harm on U.S. airlines” and impact its profits. The Office of the U.S. Trade Representative said it will impose a 10 percent tariff on large commercial aircraft. Agricultural and other industrial goods will face even higher tariffs.

Rouge Boeing 767-300ER Flight 1566 had to return to the airport after a shipment of durians in the forward cargo compartment created an overpowering odor.

A United Airlines flight experienced a cabin pressure issue that forced Flight 986 to divert to Bangor International Airport.

General Aviathon Award ceremony at Hiller Aviation Museum.

Mechanic Accidentally Fires Cannon, Destroying F-16 on Ground in Belgium

Inside Skunk Works podcast.

Wings Over the Rockies Museum

We discuss the erosion of manual piloting skills, pickle fork cracks in the B737NG, the EC review of Boeing’s interest in Embraer, a helicopter crash “close to home,” an “MCAS-like” system on the KC-46 tanker, tracking stealth fighters with passive radar, Delta’s proposed stake in LATAM, and Delta’s rules change for emotional support animals.

EAA and the Academy of Model Aeronautics (AMA) have unveiled a new “Young Eagles Build and Fly” program. This is designed to engage youth in hands-on building and flying of radio-control aircraft.

Some Boeing 737NGs are exhibiting pickle fork cracks. These are structures that connect the wing to the fuselage and transmit the load to the fuselage as the wings flex. The pickle forks are reportedly meant to last a lifetime so the cracking is of some concern.

More than $2.8 million was contributed by more than 5,000 individual donors to the 2019 AOPA You Can Fly Challenge. The 2019 challenge exceeded expectations and the Ray Foundation voted to increase its matching grant to $2.5 million. In total, more than $5.3 million in new funding was provided for You Can Fly.

Flightglobal reports that the FAA has concerns about pilots who cannot handle the aircraft when the automation fails. Some pilots have inadequate manual flying skills. The FAA believes ICAO standards and guidance need to evolve as automation continues to expand. Daily bulletins are available from ICAO’s 40th Assembly in Montreal September 24 through October 4, 2019.

The European Commission wants to look at Boeing’s plan to take a controlling interest of Embraer’s commercial business, despite previously approving Airbus’ purchase of the Bombardier CSeries.

A Robinson R44 helicopter crashed at the Sanford, Maine airport. Pilot Jack White, 50, was transported to the hospital with “severe injuries.”

A system similar to MCAS is used on the KC-46 tankers, but for a different reason: to compensate for load changes. The tanker version, however, uses two AOA indicators instead of one on the 737 MAX.

The Air Force is watching to see if there are any implications for the KC-46.

German radar-maker Hensoldt claims to have tracked two F-35s for 150 kilometers following the 2018 Berlin Air Show in Germany in 2018. The TwInvis system passive radar system uses existing electromagnetic energy from radio and TV broadcast transmitters and evaluates their echoes when reflected by an object.

LATAM Airlines, formerly LAN Airlines S.A. and Lan Chile, is a OneWorld Alliance member. Delta Air Lines is planning to take a 20% stake in the airline for $1.9 billion says they’ll spend $350 million to expand the partnership. LATAM will be exiting the OneWorld alliance. No word if they will join SkyTeam led by Delta.

Delta lifted its ban on emotional support animals on flights longer than eight hours. This puts them back in compliance with the Department of Transportation. However, Delta continues to ban pit bulls, even though breed bans are not allowed.

Collings Foundation Wings of Freedom Tour